Finance Bill sets new record for complexity

Traditionally, the Finance Bill has never been a simple matter, but Darling’s inaugural budget has reached new levels of complexity. When the Treasury finally published the Bill last Thursday, it needed 1,143 pages of explanatory notes – the most ever required.

The Bill itself, at only 443 pages, is not the longest ever Finance Bill presented to government. That honour goes to the Prime Minister, who notched up 607 pages in 2006, but these only needed 466 pages of explanatory notes. All in, this year’s Finance Bill is the longest yet.